Device to promote nasal breathing and prevent snoring



March 16, 19 4 M. P. CARLOCK ING DEVICE TO PROMOTE NASAL BREATHING AND PREVENT SNOR Filed Sept. 5, 1950 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 16, 1954 DEVICE TO PROMOTE NASAL BREATHING AND PREVENT SNORING Marion Pomeroy Carlock, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 5, 1950, Serial No. 183,236

1 Claim.

This application involves improvements over the original Carlock application Serial No. 86,611, filed on April 11, 1949, now Patent No. 2,569,743, and the Patent 1,256,188, issued February 12, 1918, to Wilson.

The object and nature of the new improved invention is to make this one-piece flexible plastic device much lighter in weight, easier to adjust and place in proper position, make certain the breathing tubes will be held firmly but comfortably in the nostrils, give the device a more artistic and attractive design, make it less costly to manufacture and to secure for users greater air volume and efiectiveness in every way. An added vital feature is a detachabl plug-in funnel-shaped tubular device with fine wire or plastic mesh ends to trap, filter and hold obnoxious, poisonous and contagious elements or germs including hay fever pollen, various fumes, nicotine in tobacco smoke, tar, sulphuric acid and other irritating elements in smoke, smog, dust of every nature, foul air and obnoxious odor usually found in a considerabl number of factories, industrial plants and foundries.

These filter-traps with their fine metal or plastic mesh ends will have an effective but harmless filter material with great absorption power placed in the filter-traps in a way to permit ample air flow into and out of the nasal passages. These highly effective devices may be replaced as often as necessary and fresh unused traps plugged into the base tube openings of the nasal breathing and snoring preventer tubes and may be removed almost instantly when desired.

One special advantage and work of this new attachment is that returning air from the lungs and nasal passages with its poisonous elements are also trapped and held, thus making this attachment suitable for use by those ill With contagious nose, sinus, throat and lung diseases. It is likewise a, protection for all concerned if worn by doctors, nurses and others administering to the sick. These filter-traps are easy to place in position and removed almost instantly when the breathing and snoring preventer tubes are desired to be used solely to promote better nasal breathing and thereby prevent snoring, one-of humanitys most embarrassing habits.

The new improved nasal breathing tube have a bulge-lock design that fits snugly, comfortably but firmly in the nostrils and the bulge rests in the interior pocket or nest of the lobes of the nose. sufficiently rigid but amply flexible and almost nonbreakable plastics like polyethylene are very v ttractive and have made it possible to 2 design and invent a new and longer pair of lyretype wings that do their work well in curving gently but quite firmly over the exterior lobes of the nose, thereby adding a second locking device to better hold the breathing tubes in proper position in the nostrils. At the upper end of these lyre-type wings are vertical tie-on holes for elastic cords (not shown in the drawings) and these holes now can be molded instead of machine drilled, thereby lessening th labor cost to manufacture. However, such tie-on holes should never be necessary unless the user is in a highly nervous, very restless or delirious condition.

One of the main purposes in designing the new improvements was to make certain that the breathing tubes would be held firmly but comfortably in the nostrils so that these tube could not slip out. This objective has been well achieved and the lyre-type wings were designed not only to assist in holding the breathing tubes in proper position but to give to this new improved inventicn a very attractive and artistic appearance, which is also less prominent to the eyes of others than the user. And finally, th device is much easier to place in the nose and to take out.

There is absolutely no resemblance of the high state of art in the design of this new improved device to the plain piece of soft rubber tubing (with part of the middle section cut out) which was patented by Wilson in 1918.

The several objectives and advantage of this improved Carlock invention will become fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, that plainly and clearly illustrate the new improvements over th original Carlock invention and of the Wilson invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the complete left-side tube above the when th tubes are in position to be inserted in the nostrils.

Fig, 2 is a sectional view of the one-piece invention showing the lower one-half longitudinal section of the tubes, base, bridge, bulge-locks, lyre-type wings and tie-on holes.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section view of the right-side nostril-engaging tube when in proper position to be inserted. It shows the approximate interior and exterior size of the tubes, the width and length of the alley between the tubes, the thickness and shape of the bulge-lock as well as the funnel-shaped base openings of the tubes.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the filtertrap showing the large funnel-shaped exterior end and smaller exterior engaging end which wings and such shoulders slant slightly toward. the funnel-shaped tube openings-en rain angle.

view of the remainder of the Wings, veriticaltieon loopholes and the bulge-lock tubes.

Fig. 6 portrays exterior views of bothumesb fitted ends of the filter-trapsinposition to.be

plugged into the tube base openings when the base of the breathing and snoring preventer tubes face downward. As stated before, these filter-traps are filled with .harmless but highly absorbent-materialof proven worth.-

Thevarious partsoi thisinvention aredden-tified by n-umerals l to ldinclusive. Part E shows thesize and approximateshape of the bulge-lock exterior of the breathing tubes of Fig. 1 and this bulge rl-tsfi-rmly but comfortably. in-the pocket or nest'oithe-interior-of thelobe of the nostril. Part .2. shows the approximate width. and length of-thealley shown on Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5. Part 3.shows-.thestraight linesor the tubes illustrated on Figures .1, 2,. sand .5. These straight lines of theialley .makeit easier-to slip thetubes into the nostrils and give more comfort and less pron-li nencewhen in proper position; Part i designates the beautiful. lyreetype wings in Figures .2v and 5. These-wings.- areconsidered one of .the inventors finest-achievements because these flexible wings curve over-gently butfirmly-and lock efiectively around.- .the exterior lobes of-vthenose, thus adding .m-uch.to'-the idea that the breathing. tubes m-ustonot slip out'ot-the nostrils. Part 5 shows the-.tie-onloopholes at thetop ends of the lyretype- Wingson Figuresiz and 5. These-improved tie-on .holes are vertical zinstead of horizontal 1 as in the original .Carlock invention. The new holes are attractive and. can be molded instead of machine-drilled. by hand, thus saving considerable expense. in the manufacture of this. new im-- proved device. These holes are anextra safeguard in preventing the breathingtubes from slipping out of the nostrils, although they may never be required but stand ready in anemerge cy.

PartE-oI' FigureS. l, 2, 3 and-5 illustrate the approximate size, shape and. angles of the-base funnel-shaped tube openings. These. funnels help. in getting .the greatest possible air volume to .thelungs. Part E of Figures 1, 2 and 8 illu s trates the. approximate shape anddiarneter of the head openings of the breathing tubes. These headswill-no-t collapseand because of the liberal size. Will-carryamplevolumes of oxygen-ladenand life-giving air toand. through the-nasal passages to-the lungs;- Practicall nothing 'on this earth can live- Without oxygen.

Farther-figures 2, 3 andwli shows'the design andapproximate size: of the bridge section or centralpart of-the base. The contours of the base to fit comfortably over the upper lip. and under the. partition of the nostrils together with funnel-shaped openings are clearly illustrated. The middle section .of the bridge from the divid ing line slopes gently to the funnels surrounding thebase openings: All assist inrushingaddition a1 volumes of air to the lungs. Part 9 of Fig. 2 illustrates the approximate design of the interior lines of the funnel-shaped base tube openings and the approximate size of the air passages from the funnels greatest diameters to the points where the nostril engaging portion of the breathing tubes begin. As explained before, the liberal size of the funnel-shaped openings and the lower interior of thetubes add muclrtothe inventions eiiectiveness in getting more air to the lungs.

Part ill of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 illustrates the slightly funnel-shaped or fluted shoulder portions of.thelyreetypewings. The increased funneling of air adds value to the device. Part II of Figures 2 and 3 shows quite clearly the approximate interior design of the walls of the breathing tubes and the approximate interior diameters of the tubes at the base openings and head :openihgs. These diameters are liberal and as straight as the improved design permits, thus making them. inviting .andeasy. for oxygen-laden air to enter and rush onward and almost .as equally easy for returning foul air with its poisonous elements to get out quickly.

Part IQ of Fig. 1 illustrates the exterior design, shape anddiametersoi the breathing-tubes, all

ofwhich help the effectiveness of this device- The bulge-lock identified by part i is. oneof the outstanding improvements. It greatl assists in holding the breathing tubes firmly. in the nostrils.

Part 53 of Fig. shows the location and diameter of-the filter-trap end that enters the base openings of the breathing tubes. It is shown more clearly in Fig. 6. Part it of Figures 4 anddillustrates the large end of the filter-trap and part l6 of said Fi l showsthe size, diameter andshape of the funnel-shaped large or outer end. Bothends are fitted with rather finemetal or plastic mesh to trap, filterv and hold obnoxious and oisonous elements in the air. The filter-materia-l is harmlessbut a highly effective absorbent material of-provenworth that traps, filters and holds such elements in the air. as hay fever pollen, dust of every nature, nicotine in tobacco smoke, sulphuricacid and other irritating elements. in oil refinery fumes and smoke, smudge potand smog fumes andsmcke, poisonous air elements of various kinds including fouland obnoxious odors that may be found in a considerable number of factories, industrial plants, mills and foundries.

These filter-traps also catch, filter and hold returning bad and dangerous air elements that pass out of the lungs, throat and nasal passages,- some of.which mayv be germ-laden-and therefore making, this filter-trap attachment almost a. necessity, when plugged into the breathing. tubes. by, those ill with contagious nose, sinus, throat. andlung diseases. The attachment is likewise aprotection to all connected with sick rooms, clinics andhospitals including such attendants as physicians, nurses and. other medicalattendants while administering to the' sick.

The nasal breathing tube heads maybemade round, ovalor. elliptical andwhen these-head openings are elliptical or oval the devise is less prominent in. the: nostrils without impairing the normal air flow.

An interesting and highly valuable. discovery, is the fact that when the interior walls. of the breathing tubes are sWabbedwith-a heavy sticky medicated. ollltl'l'lel'lhlt traps and. holdslarge quantities of dust of every nature;v allergic and kindred elements in the air and the swabbing acts as a vaporizing nasal 'unguent that in agreat many cases restores normal breathing and pain is quickly relieved.

I claim as my invention:

A device for use to promote nasal breathing and to prevent snoring, comprising a base portion, tyvo funnel-shaped breathing tubes fixed to the base portion and extending in spaced substantially parallel relationship from the base, the base having tube openings communicating with the breathing tubes, said tubes having bulged" portions at their respective sides and shaped for fitting the interior lobe of the respective nostril, flexible lyre-type wings extending from the base in spaced generally parallel relationship to the breathing tubes, said wings being shaped to extend gently but firmly around the exterior lobes of the nose.

" MARION POMEROY CARLOCK.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 682,123 753,133 888,869 1,139,357 1,160,797 10 1,221,778 2,433,565

Number 15 28,036 830545 Name Date Wilson Sept. 3, 1901 Gamble Feb. 23, 1904 Clark May 26, 1908 Garske May 11, 1915 Wallin Nov. 16, 1915 Wadhams Apr. 3, 1917 Korman Dec. 30, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 23, 1884 France May 16, 1938 

